In a remarkable display of skill and experience, right-handed batter Shoaib Malik accomplished a unique feat during the National T20 Cup clash between Sialkot Region and Rawalpindi Region at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi on Sunday.
Malik, with an illustrious career spanning 446 international matches, etched his name in the record books by becoming the first Pakistani batter to score 1000 fours in T20 cricket, achieving this milestone in 482 innings. This accomplishment also places him among the elite, as only the eighth player in cricket history to reach such a milestone.
Not stopping there, Malik also notched up 400 sixes in the T20 format, establishing himself as the sole Pakistani cricketer to achieve this feat. Leading Sialkot in the National T20 Cup, Malik contributed significantly to his team’s cause by scoring 84 off 56 balls, including 10 boundaries, setting a challenging 164-run target.
Despite Malik’s outstanding efforts, Rawalpindi managed to chase down the target in 18.4 overs with eight balls to spare.
Looking ahead, Malik has expressed his ambition to break Chris Gayle’s record for the most runs in T20 cricket. Currently, Malik needs 1719 runs to surpass Gayle’s record, holding 12,843 runs in 482 innings compared to Gayle’s 14,562 in 455 innings.
Malik’s enduring career, marked by consistent fitness efforts, hints at the possibility of him playing the shortest format for a few more years and potentially rewriting the record books.
Worth noting is Malik’s incredible longevity in Pakistan cricket, debuting in 1999 against West Indies and still going strong after 24 years at the top level. His extensive career includes 287 one-day matches, amassing 7534 runs at 34.55 and taking 158 wickets. In Test cricket, Malik played 35 matches, scoring 1898 runs at 35.14, with a memorable high score of 245 against England in 2015, accompanied by 32 wickets. In T20 Internationals, the 41-year-old contributed 2435 runs at 31.21, boasting a strike rate of 125.64 and taking 28 wickets in 49 innings.
